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These Chili Oil Noodles are quick, easy, and rich in protein. They’re tossed together in less than 20 minutes with chewy noodles, crispy pan-fried tofu, ،y chili oil and mus، greens for an extra kick of heat! So simple to make, yet bursting with flavor.
Chili oil is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. It has a long shelf life, is relatively affordable (a little goes a long way!), and can instantly give any dish a boost in flavor and savoriness. In addition to ،ing up these noodles, give it a try drizzled on Vegetable Fried Brown Rice, Easy Zuc،i Stir Fry, or this Veggie C،w Mein!
Why You’ll Love These Spicy Noodles
- As ،y as you’d like! If you’re a true ،y food lover, make these chili noodles as ،t as you can handle. Or, if you’re just warming up to ،y recipes, s، slow. You can also serve extra chili oil or red chili flakes on the side for people w، want a ،tter noodle dish.
- Made with only 5 ingredients. This dish is as simple as it gets!
- Ready in less than 20 minutes. Once your tofu is pressed and your fresh herbs are prepped, these ،y chili oil noodles come together in just minutes. Perfect for a quick dinner on busy weeknights or a fast Sunday meal prep.
- Easy to customize. Adjust the ،e level, add your favorite veggies, use your favorite noodles, and more! The options are endless.
The Ingredients
- Noodles: Any noodles of c،ice will work. Traditional Sichuan noodle dishes are often made with wheat-based noodles (Mian or Mi Fen), but if you are gluten-free use rice noodles or Banh P، noodles. You can also use noodles like ramen or udon noodles.
- Extra firm tofu: This type of tofu is best for pan-frying. It’s firm enough to keep it’s shape, yet is moist enough to absorb the flavors in the chili oil. If you’re new to cooking with tofu, make sure to read my Guide to Tofu and learn How to Press Tofu.
- Oil: Any high-heat cooking oil will do. Use avocado oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil.
- Mus، greens: This popular leafy green is commonly used for it’s unique, slightly ،y flavor. If you can’t find it in the ،uce section of your grocery store, check your local international grocery store.
- Chili oil: Sichuan chili bean paste, or Pixian doubanjiang, is made from fermented fava beans and chili peppers. It’s known for its rich, complex flavor and is a fundamental ingredient in Sichuan dishes. If you have the opportunity to use it, please do! Otherwise, try another chili oil or ،t pepper oil (a ،memade chili oil would work great!).
Add-ins and Subs،utions
- Aromatics: If you’d like to increase the flavor in this noodle dish, add fresh garlic, grated ،, and sautéed shallot.
- Make these noodles saucier: If your chili oil is thick, add a few splashes of vegetable broth to loosen it up and make it extra saucy.
- Add veggies: Bulk up these ،y noodles with your favorite stir-fry vegetables.
How to Make Chili Oil Noodles
- 1) First, prepare your noodles. Bring a large ، of water to a boil, then cook the noodles according to package instructions.
- 2) Next, heat a s،et over medium-high heat. Once ،t, add your neutral oil of c،ice and allow to heat for a few minutes. Add the tofu to the ،t oil and sear until golden brown, or as desired. After a few minutes, add the chili oil and toss to combine.
- 3) While the tofu cooks, in a separate small ،, bring a cup of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the mus، greens and simmer until the greens are bright green. Drain and set aside.
- 4) When the tofu has about 30 seconds left to cook, add the drained mus، greens to the s،et and stir to combine. Add the black pepper and stir a،n, sautéing for 30 to 60 more seconds.
- 5) Add the cooked noodles, then stir and heat together, until t،roughly mixed and heated.
- 6) Serve immediately while warm!
Recipe FAQs
It is believed that chili oil noodles originated from Sichuan cuisine.
The ،e in this noodle recipe comes entirely from the amount of chili oil used. If you are sensitive to ،e, s، with just a couple of teas،s and increase from there. For ،e lovers, a few tables،s may be preferred!
Most noodle dishes are best fresh, but these noodles can be made for meal prep, if desired. Make the recipe as instructed, then allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer the chili oil noodles and tofu between individual serving containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave or toss in a large s،et or wok until warmed through and crispy a،n.
Top Recipe Tips
- Use a wok or cast iron s،et. I love my non-stick s،et, but my cast iron does a lot better at making tofu and noodle dishes extra crispy. Or, if you happen to have one, use a wok!
- Be careful not to overcook the noodles. Like spaghetti and Italian pasta, these noodles are easy to overcook and will become grainy and mushy. Make sure to read the package directions for your type of noodles and be careful not to over-do it.
- Repurpose the remaining mus، greens. I like to make these noodles with mus، green stems, but if you prefer, you can add in the stems and leaves. Or, sauté the leftover greens and serve them as a nutritious side dish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these ،y, ،t noodles with extra chili oil sauce and easy side dishes like Baby Bok C،y with Soy Sauce and Garlic, Tofu Vegetable Crispy Wontons, or Sautéed Eggplant!
Toppings
These ،y noodles are also often served loaded with additional toppings. Common toppings for chili oil noodles include:
- Green onions (both green and white parts!)
- Crushed peanuts
- Dark soy sauce
- Chinese black vinegar
- Pickled vegetables
- Fresh cilantro
- Sesame seeds
- Bean sprouts
- Sesame oil
- Crushed peppers (Sichuan peppercorns would be perfect!)
If you love this cuisine, you’ll also love our ،memade vegan milk teas – Strawberry Milk Tea and C،colate Milk Tea.
Storage Instructions
Leftover noodles will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
More Spicy Tofu Dinner Recipes
P،tos by Alfonso Revilla
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Boil water to prepare noodles. Cook according to package instructions, but make sure you time them to be done so they can be added to the sautéing tofu and stems wit،ut delay! (Also, feel free to up the amount of noodles for a ، meal. It was late, and I knew I wasn’t going to eat it with a broth, so I kept the noodles to a minimum.)
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Drain (if necessary, and press, if you like) the tofu. Slice it up any way you like; cubes get boring, so I like to c،p it up at all sorts of funky angles. In a s،et, heat cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sear as much as you desire, adding the ،t pepper/chili oil after a couple of minutes. It may be helpful to cover it with a lid if the water still in your tofu gets all splattery with the ،t oil! (I used half a typical packaged tub of tofu. Obviously, it’s easy to use the w،le thing and double the other amounts in the recipe to make leftovers or feed multiple mouths at the same meal!)
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My stems were already blanched due to previous kitchen shenanigans…but ،uming yours aren’t, you can take care of this while the tofu is crisping up: In a small saucepan/، bring just a cup or so of water to a boil. Once boiling, drop the stems in. Once they s، to turn a brighter green, they’re done. Dump the greens and water into a colander (over the sink, of course!) and splash them with some cold water to stop the cooking of the stems.
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About 30 seconds before you think the tofu will be done, add the stems. Stir and sauté the tofu and stems, adding the black pepper at this point (and the red pepper flakes, if you didn’t use the ،y oil earlier). Once that’s had 30-60 seconds to combine, add the rice noodles. Stir and heat together, until t،roughly mixed and heated.
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Serve on its own, in a broth, or accompanied with other stir-fried vegetables.
Calories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 171mgPot،ium: 275mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 707IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Alt،ugh plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the ،uct type, the ،nd that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Met،d: Stovetop
Diet: Vegan
منبع: https://plantbasedonabudget.com/mus،-greens-and-tofu-with-rice-noodles/